Policeman s club



(No Model.)

A. J'. BRADISH. POLIGMANS GLUB.

Patented July 5, 1887-.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.,

AVERY J. BRADISH, OF PULLMAN, ILLINOIS.

POLICEMAN'S `CLUB.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 365,904, dated July' 5, 1887.

Application tiled August 17, 1885. Serial No. 174,541.

To @ZZ whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, AVERYJ. BRADIsrna citizen of the United States, residing in Pullman,county of Cook,and State of vIllinois,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Policemens Clubs, of which the following is a specification.

Thisinvention relates to improvements in policemans clubs of that class commonly known as billies, and which consist of a short stem or handle loaded at both ends with lead, and one end having secured thereto a cord rigidly attached or passed through a perforation in said stem. Y

As heretofore constructed, billies have had their stems composed of a short piece of rope or other material, which, while easily bent, is not sufficiently elastic to readily and quickly resulneits normal position, and this stem with the ends of lead have been coveredv only with leather, and as a result, when used avdead blow is unavoidably dealt,and such a blow notv only has the desired effect of stunning, but nearly always produces a cut which,if not dangerous, badly disigures the receiver'. Cords rigidly secured to or passed through a perforation in the billy are objectionable, because when on thewrist of an ofiicer the billy is-frequently grasped by his antagonist and twisted until the cord operates as a nipper', rendering the officer powerless in the hands of his adversary.

The object of this invention is to avoid this 'objectionable result by having the stem or handle of the billy exible, so that when a blow is struck with the loaded end said end will rebound sufficiently to prevent `a dead blow. Y

A further object is to cushion the loaded end in such a manner as to reduce the liability of striking a dead blow, even when a flexible handle is not employed, and also to enable a stunning blow to be struck without danger of disliguring the receiver or fracturing his bones.

A further object is to have a loop cord or strip for the wrist secured to the billy in such a manner as to effectually prevent its being used as a nipper on the wrist; and, nally to promote durability, simplicity, and cheapness in this class of hand weapons.

I attain these objects by the construction vthe desired degree.

(No model.)

illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in

. which-e Figure l illustrates a side elevation of a billy embodying my invention. The dotted lines indicate the degree of its flexibility; Fig. 2, a longitudinal quarter sectional view of the `same in full size.

Similar letters of reference indicate the same parts in the gures of the drawings.

The foundation of the stern or handle of the billy is composed ot' a coil of wire, which is of a suit-able size to give the desired stiffness and flexibility, as well as diameter of the handle, and, while this wire is preferably of brass, it may be of any other metal. Each end of this handle is loaded with lead, B O, which may be molded directly on the spring, so as to cover its ends, the lead on the striking end,B, being somewhat larger than that at the grasp ing end of the stein, as is usually the case. Theload of lead in the striking end is covered, as shown at D, which covering is preferably rubber, but may be of any other soft or elastic material suitable for cushioning the lead to Over the entire billy as thus constructed is tightly stretched a covering, E, preferably and usually of leather, but it may be of any other yielding material, stitched, pasted,or otherwise secured. Sleeved on the stem or handle and free to return and slide thereon is a collar, F, to which is secured the ends of a loop, G, which collar and loop may be of leather or any other material suitable. This loop is for the purpose of attaching the billy to the wrist of an officer, so that he may have free use'of his hands, if necessary, without dropping the billy, and it also serves as a safeguard against the billy being wrenched out of his hands in a scuftle. Swiveling the loop on the handle in this manneris productive of several important results,among which'are that an antagonist cannot twist and IOC be readily understood by the position of the loop as shown in Fig. 2.

In use the handle of the billy is usually grasped near the end opposite the striking end, and hence the elastic and spring action ofthe handle is fully brought into play in striking a blow, so that in the forward motion to strike the blow the handle bends and then rebounds the moment the blow is struck, earrying with it the loaded end, thus preventing a dead and necessarily cutting` blow.

In actual practice it has been satisfactorily demonstrated thata billy constructed as above described possesses all the requisites as a Weapon of defense and to renderan opponent submissive, for while it may knock him senseless it will not produce a fracture or a eut, and hence it is not an implement of torture in the sense that billies usually are.

Having described my invention, what I claim7 and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s-

AVERY J. BRADISII.

IVit n esscs:

W. W. Emio'r'r, R. C. OMonUwDno- 

